Dough brake machine



5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR` fdwaro M S fra be /V/'cae/ J. (al4a/rn' WWW/M0! ATTORNEYS Oct. 14, 1941. E. H. s'rRuBBE ETA.

IWUGH BRAKE MACHINE Filed Aug. 7, 1940 Oct. 14, 1941. E. H. STRUBBE ETAL 2,259,398

DoUeH BRAKE MACHINE Fild Aug. 7, 1940 5 sheets-sheet 2 v Oct. 14, 1941. E H. STRUBBE TAL 2,259,398

DOUGH BRAKE MACHINE Filed Aug. 7, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 T TOR/VE T6 E. H. STRUBBE ETAL DOUGH BRAKE MACHINE Filed Aug. '7, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 6./0. www ma@ E Naw@ m Wm mdf A dJ. r/ ae ,Ma im M OCt- 14, 1941 E. H. STRUBB ETAL 2,259,398

DOUGH BRAKE MACHINE Filed Aug. 7, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Oct. 14, 1941 DOUGH BRAKE MACHINE Edward H. Strubbe and Michael J. Colacurcio, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignors to United Biscuit Company of America, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application August 7, 1940, Serial No. 351,706

15 Claims.

The present invention relates to dough Working machinery and has for an object the provision of a dough brake machine suitable for handling cracker dough, biscuit dough and the like, and which is semi-automatic in operation to the end that full advantage may be taken of the time and manual skill of an operator in speedily folding the dough, while the heavier and less critical operations are performed by cyclically operating mechanism which may be fully automatic and under push button starting control.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine of this character which is economical of floor space in the plant and is capable of operating on dough batches of various sizes without the necessity of adjustments.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of this kind wherein themechanism can be operated at a somewhat accelerated rate, thereby increasing the output thereof without introducing any appreciable element of fatigue to the operator.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device which permits the customary speed in manually folding the dough as it is sheeted, even though the Weight of the form or dough batch be increased beyond the operators capacity for lifting or turning the batch.

A further object of the invention is to provide a dough working machine of the-character described which does not expose relatively large areas of the rolled dough to the atmosphere at one time, thus overcoming a disadvantage attending the use of many known machines for the same purpose.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means for dusting a dough form on the bottom thereof while slidably transferring it from a moving conveyor onto a stationary surface.

These and other objects are attained by the means described herein and disclosed in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevational view showing a semi-automatic dough brake machine embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device of Fig. 1, parts being broken away.

Fig. 3 is a view taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmental view showing a gate mechanism forming a detail of the invention.

Fig. 5 is a wiring diagram showing the control for the cyclically operating mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic side elevational view showing the dusting means for the device.

The preparation of the cracker or biscuit dough or sponge prior to the finishing and cutting thereof has heretofore been carried out by both fully manual and by completely automatic methods,l both of which entail the rolling and cross-rolling of the dough. The purpose of these operations is to attain a particularly desired textural quality in the dough which determines the texture of the ultimate product. The so-called manual method of dough working at this stage involves excessive heavy lifting, turning and carrying of the batches of dough which not only occupies a considerable amount of the operators time but introduces an excessive fatigue factor. The fully automatic machines which utilize the so-called machine lapping or folding devices usually require a considerable area and length of the sheeted dough to be eX- posed to the atmosphere at all times so that there is always a possibility of a detrimental surface drying of the sheeted dough. Automatic machines that are free of this disadvantage are costly and very complex.

By the use of the semi-automatic machine of the present invention, the operator is enabled to utilize his energy and skill principally in the proper folding of the dough into stacked forms or batches by him for cross-rolling and for subsequent dispatch to a iinishing and cutting machine.

The machine comprises generally a feed means, a single sheeting means, a turn-table defining an operators station, and automatic conveying and elevating means whereby dough is taken from the turn-table and alternately returned to the feed means and discharged from the machine. At the operators station the dough is lapped or folded longitudinally or transversely of the conveyor apron by a corresponding adjustment of the turn-table as required before or after the batch of dough is stacked or folded. This enables the operator to fold the sheeted dough transversely of the apron conveyor on the first rolling of the dough and to swing the conveyor apron on its pivotal axis, thereby turning the dough through in a horizontal plane without lifting the form. The automatic cyclically operating conveying and elevating means then carries each batch of dough to the rear of the machine and discharges each initially rolled batch of dough back into the feed means for crossrolling by the sheeting means and subsequent manual folding upon the turn-table' conveyor apron. Those forms which have received the second or cross-rolling operation are conveyed and elevated to the rear of the machine and discharged to any receiving station which may be the form board or conveyor of a nishing and cutting machine.

We prefer to use individual electric motor drive for each of the mechanical elements of the machine and to provide motor driven electrical switching apparatus arranged for pushbutton starting by the operator at his station and whereby the sequence of electrical operation is controlled and designed to effect the return of a form to the feed means in one cycle of operation and the discharge of the form is eifected ina succeeding cycle of operation. The feed means may thus receive a measured batch of dough "the shaft 51 carrying the end roller 58.

from any suitable source of supply at intervals following the return of a previously rolled form. Referring now to the drawings, the present embodiment of the invention vis arranged in 4a compact unit on a base which maybe conveniently constructed of side rails I spaced apart by pairs of channel members II and I2 and by rigid axles I3 and I4 at the rear and front of the machine respectively, and which carry the wheels I5 and castors IS whereby the machine is tractionally supported. RigidlyV securedatthe rearlends Vof `Vside rai-1s i0 are vertical elevator rails-Il. lThe rails Il have side flanges '|10 which form guide channels facing eachother and rreceiving 4the guide rollersy I8` of 'an-elevator frame indicated 'generally as 1:9. Afpair of Vside frames-20 are mounted on the side vrails IU 'for- `wardly of the'elevator'rails II and VservetoA supportfa dough sheeter 2l which lmay be of any approved construction and which'is "arranged so that its single pair -ofsh'eeting 'rollers 22 will discharge the'dough toward the front of the machine. An inclined Vfeed chute '23 is suitably supported, asY by Ybra'cketsZd securedto lthe ver- ?tic'al -flevator rails I7, and is arranged to discharge `batches of dough vgravitationally tothe `sheeting rollers 22.

At the front endof the machine and suitably supported on the Iside rai-ls vI-Il Uis 'a turn-table structure 25 having a` conveyor apron'Z- extending in partbeneath the Vsheeting rollers Y22 so that Adongh Amay be manually folded into stacked vbatches as iit leaves the vsheeting rollers. The turn-table 25 lia-sa suitable rroller-bearing structure 2l supported above the angle members I2 Vand upon which'bear'ingthe turne'table'25may be moved through a quarter revolution to extreme positions whereinjthe'conveyor apron "26 -extends longitudinally of the'ma'clrine, `as'shown in Fig.2,^o'r transverselyofthe machine, asshown `in VFig; 4'3. The *turn-'table structure carries 'a motor '28 which may have a'chain drive 29 which turns -asprocket' i'lxe'd 'to shaft '3'I of theV drive vrollerffZ fortlie conveyor 4apron 26. `Gonveyor apron 521%" is supported in lany suitable 'manner as by rollers 33"and belttightener roller 34 in addition to thedri'vero-ller's 32 and"35.A On the 'side lopposite the chaindrive A29, shaft 3l has agear v35 Ameshing with gear 3'? jwhich drives roller35.

vBeneath the sheeting means "'2Ian`d'fe'ed -chute f `23,*and rearwardly of turn-table 25, 'is an 'nter mediatebeltconveyor 33 extending between rollers 1l3d Vand Alli! and-around a tightener roller 4| and drive roller 42. Drive 'roller'42 has a sprock- -et V43 fixed for rotation therewith. A 'motor 44 suitably supported, las on channel members 45 extend-ing between the `side rframes 20, lhas 'a chain drive t6 extending-aboutsprocket 43 'so that the intermediate*conveyor'belt 38 is contin- `uous'lydriven in the directionv` of the rear'of the machine (see'Fig l). 'The L"InrotorfM valso has'a drive `Vchain 4l extending over zthe v`top of 'a sprocket At8 --fixed for rotation with oneof the rollers 22 and around the bottom of a sprocket 49 which fixed for rotation with thecther of therollers-ZZ. Theinotor 44 thus serves tocontinuously operatefboththe sheeting means and said intermediate conveyor. Y

isunablyiiiiounted inA the elevator frame n le is aV reversible motor `J5l) 'for driving a suitably sup- The means whereby the elevator structure I9 may be bodily raised from the position shown in 'full lines'lin Fig. 1 to the position shown in dotted ylinesfin Fig.l l are as follows. A fixed shaft 59 is ri-gidly'connected at opposite ends to the top portions of the vertical elevator rails II and lservesY asa brace for said rails and as a support for grooved pulleys Ell. At the lower ends of said rails Il, and forwardly thereof, are sheaves 6I 'xed on -a --transverse shaft "'62 Vand driven by a 'reversibleinotor 63 through the agency of Vdrive chain 64. Gables 65 are connected with the 'sheaves 5"! and' extend upwardly over the-grooved pulleys 60 and thence downwardly where the ends of the cables are connected to hooks 66 in the-top of the elevatorlfr'ame |19.

YThe feed'means 23 is, -in thepresent instance, constructed of `Van incl-inedffeedl-boa'rd 51 having 'side VWalls y`68 -between 'which Vextends a -rockable shaft-5S. fFixed to V"theshaft is agate 'Hl which vtraverses vthe space between sde'wallsfi. The shaft`69-is"extendedand hasa Ycrank arm "II xed thereto outside of the `side Walls 68. `A jointed rlever has oneend ofvsecti'on l2 thereof pivoted tothe free end of crank arm-*H asv atl3. The-other endof ljointed lever section 112 is connected lto a complementary lever section l4 by vpivot'l5. Complementary 'abutment shoulders 16 onthelever sections -12 and 'I4 limit theextent of .relative Ypivotal movement of I said llever `sections in one direction. The section 'I4 is pivotal- 1lymounted=ona ii-x'ed'pivotal stud TI inthe-side wall 'Aneadjustable weight 718 vtends to move section 74 about its -pivotalmounting on--pivot 4stud 'I1 tending -tobring' the abutting 4shoulders -ltogetherwith the complementary jointed lever sections longitudinally aligned. 5A link 19 isconnectedlata its one'end tothe complementary lever sectionfM intermediate the vpivotal points vl5 Yand lIIws'o th-at-when-the link -ispulled downwardly thev jointed vlever'breaks at the vpivotfjoint 'l5'and rocks shaft 5-9 for moving the gate Ill from the positions'hown -in'full Vlines in-:Figito the position shown in dotted lines in said YFig-4. At this time the l-nk and 'jointed lever sections assume the positions 'shown indotted linesin Fig-4. Aliixedly -monntedfsolenoid `-has an armature 8| -to which-the bottom -of link v1S ispvotally connected. Whenthefsolenoid is electrically energized, the'armatu'rfe-'-I -is retracted downwardly into the interior of the structure Ito'effect `the-position vof par-ts illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 4. `By m'eans of `this electrically `controlled gate, the operator may retain'a-batch-of dough on the board 6l until he is ready lto have the sheeting Ameans 2l begin Vthe sheeting operation on` said batch. By the means hereinafter more "ful-ly described, the Joperator needV` merelyv complete the electrical #circ-uit including Ythe 'solenoid, whereupon the gate will be opened Yand retained in an openposition by Athe 4-energizedsolenoid until the electricalcircuit-is again lbroken by Vmea-ns vwhich 'are coordinated-with the ilelectrical-control `which will nowfbe explained.

The controle-means for integrating vthe operations of `motors Y28, 50 and AI5-3, `and of solenoid lintoautomatic operating cyclesA of themachne includes -a control motor-82, a rotaryY switching means indicated generaliy `ras. #83, and driven by the motor 82, a magnetic holding switch 84 and a magnetic holding switch 85 for the solenoid and the control motor, respectively. A rotary switching means includes in its function the de-energizing of the solenoid 80 and control motor 82 at the proper times so that, in'practice, the operator is merely required to press momentary switch buttonsV 86 and 81 before and after performing Ithe manual folding or lapping operation on the dough.

The rotary switching means 83 may be of the conventional drum and contact ringer construction. Referring now to Fig. 5, the druin 88 is shown as a development of the cylinder carrying a. series of moving contacts,'all of which are electrically connected to a common return 89 while the several electrical devices are connected at one side to a complementary common conductor line 90, thence through the suitable A source l Contact fingers to the drum contacts. of electrical supply 9|-92 connects with lines 89-90 through a switch 93 whereby the entire machine may be rendered inoperative. The common return line 89 has a switch 94 therein serving as an emergency switch for stopping the automatic operation at any time. The motor 44 which drives the sheeting rolls 22 and the intermediate conveyor 38 is connected to lines 89-90 ahead of switch 94 so that those parts are continuously driven independently of the automatic operation of the remainder of the electrical apparatus.

The electrical connections through the solenoid 80 are arranged as follows. The solenoid coil or winding 95 is connected with line 99 by cont ductor 96 and at its other end by conductor 91 With one of the winding 98 of the magnetic holding switch 84. 'Ihe manual push button switch is arranged to temporarily close the circuit through conductor 99 and |00 to a contact nger A drum contact |02 on the drum 88 is aligned with finger |0| to complete the circuit through the common return line 89. As will be Hereinafter fully appreciated, the drum 88 has the drum contacts |02 and |03 spaced at diametrically opposite sides of the drum, and the control motor which rotates the drum is arranged to bring the drum to rest after each one-half revolution of the drum with the contact finger |0| resting either on drum contact |02 or |03.

The control motor 82 is connected by conductor |04 to the conductor line 90 and is connected to the winding of the magnetic holding switch 85 via a conductor |05. |01|08 connect through the momentary pushbutton switch 81 and the contacts of the magnetic switch 85 to a contact finger |09. Contact finger |09 is arranged to connect with drum contact |0 or which are longitudinally aligned about the circumference of the drum 88 and which are of a length to fully span the distance between contacts |02 and |03 and between contacts |03 and |02, respectively, so that as motor 82 is energized and rotates the drum 83, contact finger |09 will ride over drum contact ||0 while magnetic holding switch 85 is supplying current thereto at approximately one-half revolution of the drum 89. However, the Contact |09 moves 01T of drum contact 0 for an instant during which magnetic holding switch 85 is de-energized, breaking the circuit to motor 82. Contact |09, however, due to a controlled momentum of the operation Yof the motor 82 and the drum 88, immediately rides onto drum contact At Conductors this time the circuit to motor 82 is broken but in readiness to be closed whenever momentary push-button 81 is closed to energize the magnetic holding switch 85. It should be readily apparent also that drum contact |02 or |03 will, due to a substantially similar operation of magnetic holding coil 84, always be in position to energize solenoid when drum 88 is at rest, and that the circuit to solenoid 80 will be maintained for a short time after rotation of drum 88 under the influence of motor 82 has begun. l

The motor 28 which drives the turn-table apron 26 is arranged to be automatically energized almost immediately after the motor 82 begins to turn then contact drum 88. Said motor 28 is connected at one side with the line 90 by a conductor ||2 while a conductor ||3 connects the other side of said motor with a contact finger ||4. A drum contact |i5 which is brought into electrical contact with finger ||4 as soon as the contact drum is placed in operation completes the circuit through the return line 89 causing motor 28 to drive the turn-table apron for an interval determined by the length of drum contact ||5 and the rate of travel of the said turntable apron. This period of operation is adjusted to continue while the apron 26 moves a folded batch of dough beneath the sheeting means 2| and onto the continuously operating intermediate conveyor 38. The last-named conveyor receives its power through motor 44 and carries the batch of dough onto the elevator conveyor 5| which is supported on elevator frame I9. The motor 50 is connected to line 90 at one side by conductor ||8 and said motor, being a reversing motor, has connected to its other side conductors H1 and H8 which connect with contact fingers 9 and |20, respectively, and so connected that when current passes through by way of conductor ||1, motor 50 operates in one direction and drives the elevator belt in the direction of the extreme end of the machine, thus serving to receive a batch of dough from the conveyor 38 and shift it completely onto the elevator conveyor 5|. The electrical switching for this operation is effected by .finger ||9 riding onto drum contact |2|. The length of drum contact |2| is in practice arranged so that the nger ||9 will pass off of drum contact |2| and thus bring the elevator conveyor 5| to rest with a batch of dough carried thereon. The elevator motor 63 which drives the hoist mechanism for raising and lowering elevator frame I9 is connected as follows. Motor 83 is connected at one side to line 98 by conductor |22. At the other side of this reversing motor S3 are connected conductors |23 and |24, respectively, connectable alternately to the return line 99 for selectively driving motor S3 in opposite directions. Conductors |23 and |24 are connected to contact fingers |25 and |28, respectively. The circuit through conductor |23 and linger |25 is effected by way of drum contact |21 and the return line 89. When so connected, hoist motor 63 drives the sheaves 6| so that cables 85 are wound upon said sheaves and the elevator frame |9 is bodily raised. As drum contact |21 passes beyond contact finger |25, motor 63 stops and the elevator frame is brought to rest with the elevator conveyor 5| at the approximate level of the top of the feed board 61 which forms the base of the feed means 23. As the motor 82 continues to rotate the drum 88, contact finger |20 rides onto and completes a circuit through drum contact |28 so that the motor 50 begins to turn in a reverse direction immedi- -a'tely'uponfthe arrival of 'the 'elevator frame I0 in a position of rest. This causes the elevator conf veyor 5| to be driven in the direction `of the front of the machine'so "that the batch of dough 'thereon "is nowdelivered over the top 'inclined edge of the feed board 01 down which it slidesto be brought'to rest 'against gate T0. movement of the drum causes `drum Vcontact |28 to'p'a'ss beyond contact nger |20, the contact 'finger |20 completes an electrical circuit through drum contact |20 and the conductor |24, thus causing `elevator 'motor 63 to'operate in a reverse direction and then come to rest 'after lowering the V'elevator Aframe I9 to its `initial position as shown in Fig. 1. At'approximately this moment, inthe `rotationo'f'drum v88, nger |0| rides Yonto drum contact |03. At the same time, contact |09 leaves l"contact and breaks the circuit to the winding |05 in vthe magnetic 'holding switch 85. This deenergizes motor 82 but allows the 'drum 8'8 to move sufficiently to establish contact 'between the nger |00 and drum contact Thus the `first automatic Vcycle vis completed and the parts are vall at rest and in position to begin a second and somewhat'slightly different Vcycle of machine operations.

The second cycle of automatic machine operationsdiifers from the initial 'cycle just described in that the final operation of conveyor '5| is in 'the-'same direction as the rst 'operation thereof so that the batch4 of dough which has been crossrolledand is being automatically handled in the second i'automatic cycle ofoperation will be discharged over the 'refar Yend of the elevator frame |9 onto any suitable receiving station |33, the 'natureof'which forms no part of the present invention'but which in factory practice may be the 'conveyor or formboard vof a m'shing and cutting machine forthe biscuits and crackers.

'In the cross-rolling of the batch of dough, push button 86 is first actuated by the operator'caus'- ing solenoid 'to open the gate 70 and retain the same in an open position while the dough feeds into the sheeting means 2i. Theoperator folds and `stacks the sheeted dough onto the apron 26 of `the turn-table y25. `Upon the completion of saidmanual folding operations the operator next 'presses 'the momentary push button switch B1 which'ca'uses the magneticholding switch toclose and retain an operating circuit for the control motor `B2 through drum `contact Movement ofthedrum 88 carries Vdrum contact |33 beyond contact finger |0| and Acle-energizes solenoid B0 allowing gate I0 to closeso that anew batch of doughmay be entered into the feed means 23 for the'operators subsequent attention. As the drum 80 continues to move, contact finger ||4 completes a circuit through drum Contact ISI operating motor 28 during a sufficient interval to cause theturn-table conveyor 26 to dischargeits folded batch of dough-onto vintermediate conveyor 38 which continues the movement of said batch of dough to the rear end of elevator conveyor belt 5|. Contact finger ||`9 now completes a circuit through drinn contact |32 and maintainsfthe same during an interval in which ythe batch of dough is carried completely onto velevator conveyor belt 5|; whereupon, contact 'finger I I9 breaks connection with drum contact |32. lmrrredi-ately following this, contact -nger |125 completes a circuit through drum Contact |33 venergizing the elevatormotor 03 and raising-the velevator |9 rto its upper limit; whereupon, contact finger l|25 breaks connection withjdrum contact '|33 and the contact finger I9 establishes contact As soon as 'the' with *drum contact |354 which again 'energizes motor -`63 'through conductor |23 and causes said elevator vconveyor to discharge its burden off oi? the end 'o'f the elevator frame onto receiving 'station |30.A At the "completion of this 'operation finger figleaves drum 'contact |34 and contact finger |26 completes a circuit through drum 'contact |35 which 'causes the velevator frame to be lowered Vand brought vto rest. At approximately this moment, contact iinger 101| makes contact withthe drum contact |02 and co'nt'actrlnger f|09 breaks 'contact and the Vcircuit with drum-contact vand fthenre-esta'blishes contact with -drum Contact ||0. No circuit, however, is established in the Asolenoid '80 Vor control motor 82 until 'the operator is again ready to rcomplete them through the momentary push-button switches d|56 and 3C! respectively.

The gate I0 with its push-button opening 'and automatic closingmechanism aordseseveraldistinct advantages. -As -asafetyfactory as Ycan be best -se'en in Fig. 4, the `gate inf'open position ef- 'fectively guards against the introduction olf v`'an operators hand into lthe feeding {zone of rollers 2 2 which dough is passing between the latter. This guard remains in a safety position until the operator has completed the manual folding operation @and has started the form 'onits way to the intermediate f conveyor. lThe gate then automatically clo'ses and permits fthe next dough batch or iorin 'to beheld Ain readiness for .the operator. It will also be noted that the 'operator vmay gain time as and when desiredby initiating the .gat'eeopening movement immediately 'as a previously folded form reaches the intermediate conveyor so that 'he can proceed with thelrolling and folding `of a new batch while the previous form is passing over the conveying and elevating mechanism in course of its discharge from the machine.

The dusting of the conveyors with flour to .prevent the dough from sticking is effected, 'as show'n diagrammatically in.Fig. 6, providing Ybeneath each conveyor `:belt a `bin or chamber C containing flour and having a driven dusting roll D in contact with the Vassociated conveyor *belt 'and anlagitator which throws the flour against .-'said roll D. The surface of each moving conl veyor is thus dusted in advance vvof receiving lthe dough.

In moving the form from the moving elevator conveyor belt 5| to the stationary inclined feed b'oard Bl, -it -is not feasible to dust the feed board `because the doughmerely pushes the flour ahead of -it vand 'cannot be taken up by the bottom surface rof the dough. To overcome this difficulty we have provided a novel and very eiiective relationship between-the top of the feed boardll and the conveyor 5| so that the bottom 'surface of the dough'is properly dusted in advance of its sliding movement over said feed board. A dust chamber |35 is mounted transversely of and beneath the upper end of vthe board 51. A transverse dusting roll |31projects through the gap |38 between the top of 'said feed 'board andthe top of chamber |36 which receives the dough from conveyor 5| `and 'directs it over the partially protruding surface of the roll |37. This serves to deposit onthe bottom of the dough the sur face hlm `'of flour Aon the roll, which roll also assists in moving the dough onto the feed board. A suitable 'agitator |39 is-drive'n `in unison with the Yroll |31 by a vchain `|130 that receives its power from the shaft of the lower sheeting roller 22. 'iScr'aper |`4| is housed within chamber |36 and serves to remove excess flour from the surface of roll |3'| in advance of the contact of the dough thereon.

' The application of flour for dusting the top surface of the dough form at this time may be effected in any suitable manner. We prefer to dust the top of the dough form by automatically operating dusting means which is cyclically actuated and so timed as to discharge its dust during that interval in which the dough forms normally leave the conveyor 5| and move onto the surface 61 of the feed board. 'I'he dusting means, indicated generally as |42, is spaced above the surface 51 of the feed board 23 sufficiently to clear the maximum intended thickness of dough form passing beneath it. The dusting means is driven by a motor |43 and comprises a suitably roughened roll |44 operating partly within and partly outside a hopper |45 from which it receives a surface charge of flour and which charge is removed therefrom by a rotary brush |48 as a directional dust stream. (See Fig. 6.)

The cyclic control for motor |43 of duster mechanism |42 is wired as follows: A conductor |41 connects one side of motor |43 with line 90 and a conductor |48 connects the other side of said motor with contact finger |49. Drum contact |50, as will be noted in Fig. 5, is so positioned as to complete a circuit through return line 89 shortly after finger |20 has completed its circuit through drum contact |28 and said finger |49 breaks its circuit with drum contact |50 thus stopping motor |43 at approximately the same time that motor 50 is cle-energized and conveyor belt 5| has completed its movement toward the feed means 23.

The means or mode of initially introducing dough batches to the feed means 23 form no part of the present invention since the batches may be introduced manually or by any suitable batchdepositing means (not shown) and from any convenient direction. This greatly facilitates the adaptation of the machine to a number of different arrangements with other dough Working or dough handling machinery within the plant.

It will be understood changes in kind and number of cycles of operation may be made by replacing the contact drum 88 with another drum carrying suitable arrangements of drum contacts. In the present embodiment (see Fig. 5) we have shown the machine equipped electrically to carry out either of two selected cycle groups by electrically switching from one contact drum, such as 88, to another drum 800 which constantly rotates in unison with drum 83 and has its own set of contact fingers. Drum 880 has a return line 890 with a switch 940 therein. The contact fingers are duplicates of the hereinbefore described contact lingers respectively, and connect Ato the same respective conductors. The drum 880, as shown, is arranged to effect the return feed of the form twice before discharging the same from the machine and therefore has two similar groups of drum contacts |02, H0, H5, 12|, |21, E28 and |29 following in succession, after which there follows one group of contacts containing the drum contacts |03, |3|, |32, |33, ld and |35. In practice, the functions of switches S4 and 40 are effected by a manual selector` switch of any suitable design (not shown).

The invention is not to be considered as limited to the exact structural details of the disclosed embodiment since these are subject to change within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. In a dough brake machine the combination of a sheeting means, a turn-table disposed forwardly of and `below said sheeting means to receive dough in manually folded and stacked condition as it is sheeted by said sheeting means,

. a conveying and elevating mechanism disposed rearwardly of the turn-table and beneath the sheeting means for returning dough from the turn-table to the sheeting means, and means to cyclically actuate the conveying and elevating mechanism for successively receiving dough batches from the turn-table and directing said batches into and away from said sheeting means.

2. In a dough brake machine the combination of a sheeting means, a turn-table disposed forwardly of and below said sheeting means to receive dough in manually folded and stacked condition as it is sheeted by said sheeting means, a conveying and elevating mechanism disposed rearwardly of the turn-table and beneath the sheeting means for returning dough from the turn-table to the sheeting means, and automatic power driven means to cyclically actuate the conveying and elevating mechanism for successively receiving dough batches from the turntable and directing said batches alternately into and away from said sheeting means.

3. In a. dough brake machine the combination of a feed means, a dough sheeting means fed thereby, a turn-table having a pivotal mounting forwardly of the sheeting means, an apron mounted on said turn-table and adapted for the manual folding of dough into stacked batches as it is sheeted, and operator-initiated automatic means for moving said stacked batches of dough beneath said sheeting means and said feed means and thence into said feed means.

4. In a dough brake machine the combination of an inclined feed board, a pair of dough sheeting rollers fed thereby, a pviotally shiftable structure including an endless moving apron arranged to receive dough from the sheeting means selectively in transverse and longitudinal relation to said moving apron, an intermediate conveyor to move dough from said apron beneath the sheeting and feed means, and a cyclically operable elevator and reversible conveyor structure for removing dough from the intermediate conveyor and discharging it into and away from the upper end of said inclined feed board.

5. In a dough brake machine the combination of a feed means, a pair of sheeting rollers fed thereby, a gate in the feed means, a turn-table apron below the rollers, an intermediate conveyor under said feed means and rollers and onto which the turn-table apron may discharge, an elevator frame vertically movable at the rear of the machine, a reversible conveyor on said frame and movable thereby into cooperative relation with the intermediate conveyor and said feed means respectively, and electrical operating means including independent motors for said apron, said elevator frame, and said reversible conveyor, a control motor and switching means driven thereby for cyclically moving said apron, elevator frame and reversible conveyor whereby successive batches of dough are moved from the apron to the level of the feed means and discharged into and away from said feed means in predetermined sequence.

6. In a dough brake machine the combination of a feed means, a sheeting means fed thereby,

afself-closing gate. for Withholding feed to the sheeting means, and'mea'ns moving and retaining said gate in an open positionpermitting feed to the sheeting means and shielding the sheeting means against entry of extraneousobjects from above the feed means in the vicinity of said sheeting means.

7; In a dough brake machine the combination of a feed means, a sheeting` means arranged to receive dough from said feed means, a cyclically operable conveyor means for returning dough from the sheeting means to the feed means, a gate normally urged to closed position retaining the dough on the feed means, selectively energizable m'eans'to open the gate and retain itin open position, and' selectively operable means to actuate the cyclically operable conveyor means and de-energize said'Y gate'opening means.

8: In a dough brake' machine thecombination of a: base, aturn-table apron at the forward end of' the base, an' elevator at the rear of said base, a' sheeting means disposed in overhanging relation to they turn-table apron, an inclined feed board having its rear end disposed adjacent the upper'limit of said elevator and its forward end disposed inY feeding relation with the sheeting means, an intermediatev conveyor between said turn-tableapron and the lower Vlimit ofvsaid elevator and .beneath the sheeting means and feed board, drive means for continuously driving said intermediateV conveyor and sheeting means, a reversibleconveyor onrsaid elevator, independent electrical drive means for said turn-table apron, said elevator, and said reversible conveyor respectively; and a motor driven switching mechatermediate conveyor and. moved alternately towards and away fromv the sheeting means, motors for said apron, said elevator mechanism and said reversible conveyor respectively, rotary switching means including fixed and moving contacts for controlling the respective motors in predetermined sequence, a control motor for driving the switching means, a manually closed magnetic holding switch in electrical circuit with said motor, and4 a fixed and moving contact in the switching means in said circuit whereby the control motor and switching means are cie-energized automatically on predetermine-d movement of the switching means.

11. In combination an inclined stationary form board, an endless traveling conveyor arranged to carry dough forms to the form board and move them slidably onto the form board and a rotatable flour dusting roll mounted with the upper periphery thereof interposed between said conveyor and said board whereby flour from the -surface of said roll is applied to the bottom surface of the dough form after it leaves the conveyor and in advance of its slidable contact with the stationary form board.

12. In a dough handling mechanism a moving conveyor, a stationary form board for slidably receiving dough forms from said conveyor, a flour dusting roller having its upper periphery disposed transversely across the path of movement between said conveyor and form lboard for nism cyclically controlling said independent electric driveY means whereby'the turn-table apron is operated to move dough batches accumulated fromV the sheeting meansv onto said intermediate conveyor; and; said reversible conveyor' and elevator are actuatedl toV receive' said successive batches inthe lower position ofthe' `elevator and move them tothe level of the feed' means where saidY reversi-ble conveyor discharges successively elevated dough batches in opposite' directions in predetermined order;

9% InY a dough brake machine the combination of a doughsheeting means arranged to periodically-receive dough batches' and deliver the same insheeted condition in aY generally forwardly direction, a conveyor a-pron structure pivoted for shifting in a horizontal plane beneath the sheeting means for' receiving thevsheeted dough in manually folded stacked relation selectively in longitudinalv and transverse folds with respect to said'A apron, means including a reversible conveyorat the rear of tl'ie'machineV and an intermediatemeans for transferring said dough batches-in preselected relation from said apron, andv control-means including automatic switching mechanism and independent drive motors forsaid apron; and said" reversible conveyor for effecting predetermined operating cycles of dough movement ink said machine;

10. In a dough brake-mechanism the combination of Asheeting-means, a movableV apron disposed in the path of discharge of the sheeting means, an intermediate conveyor to receive dough fromtheapron and move it rearwardly beneath the sheeting means', an elevator mechanism including an Y independently operating reversible conveyor whereby dough is received from the inassisting the transfer of dough forms to said form board and simultaneously applying iiour from its surface to the bottom surface of the doughv in advance -of slidable contact with the form board.

13. In combination a stationary form board, a moving conveyor to receive dough forms and move them slidably onto said board, a dust chamber below the receiving end of the board, a roller operating in the chamber and having its top peripheral surface in position such that it contacts the bottom surface of the dough form as the latter is moved to the form board by said conveyor, means to uniformly apply dust to said roll in the dust chamber and means to drive the roll. l

14. In a device of the class described the combination of an inclined form board, sheeting mechanism fed thereby, an endless conveyor for receiving dough forms and discharging them onto the form board, and a fiouring device disposed intermediate said form board and endless conveyor fordusting the bottoms of dough forms as they are discharged onto said form board.

15. In a device of the class described the combination of a sheeting means, an inclined form board feeding the first-mentioned means, a series of cyclically operating conveyors for returning dough forms from the sheeting means to said form board for cross rolling, dusting means for applying flour to the conveyors during operation thereof, continuously operating means applying flour directly to the bottom surface of each dough form at it is returned to said form board from the conveyors, and means cyclically operated with saidV series of conveyors for discharging flour directly to the top surface of each dough form as it passes onto said form board from said series of conveyors.

EDWARD H. STRUBBE. MICHAEL J. COLACURCIO. 

